EARLY GIOVANNI DA VERAZZANO Giovanni da Verrazano was born in 1485 in a town called Val de Greve. His parents were Piero Andrea di Bernardo da Verrazano and Fiametta Capelli. Verrazano was a well educated man. He was also very wealthy. Very little of his early life is known. But from around the time frame of 1506 to his death, there is quite a bit of information.
VOYAGES
After he settled down in Dieppe France his career as a navigator took off. He was the very first European to ever sail to the American coast from North Carolina to Newfoundland. He entered the French services in 1522. He organized a voyage for the king of France, Francis 1. He began his journey in January 1524. In March he finally arrived in North Carolina. He then sailed up shore missing Chesapeake and Delaware. He anchored in New York Bay. He made contact with the native peoples of the area, but did not explore. But he did spend about 2 weeks exploring the Narragansett Bay. He anchored in what is now known as Newport Harbor. He had very friendly encounters with native that inhabited the place and in May around the 5th or 6th he set sail. After nearly escaping the Shoals of vineyard and Nantucket, he finally sailed around to Cape Cod and found the Maine coast of Casco Bay. All of the natives he had encountered on his travels had been very pleasant. The natives here were very inhospitable. They were shooting arrows at Verrazano’s boat and when visible they were acting rudely. This may suggest that these natives have already come in contact with the Europeans and were treated quite poorly. Verrazano called this coast the “land of bad people”. He continued his journey past Monhegan, Isle au Haut and Mount Desert. It is said that he showed up were the Penobscot bay should be. But the contrary winds kept him from seeing Fundy Bay and most of Nova Scotia. Then he left Newfoundland around mid June. In 1528 on his third voyage to North America, after he explored most of Florida and the Bahamas and Lesser Antilles, he set sail to an Island called Guadeloupe. Verrazano anchored away from the shore and rowed to shore. When he got out of his boat he was killed and eaten by the native Carib inhabitants. The fleet of 2-3 ships were out of gunshot range and could not get to him in time.
- EARLY GIOVANNI DA VERAZZANO
VOYAGESGiovanni da Verrazano was born in 1485 in a town called Val de Greve. His parents were Piero Andrea di Bernardo da Verrazano and Fiametta Capelli. Verrazano was a well educated man. He was also very wealthy. Very little of his early life is known. But from around the time frame of 1506 to his death, there is quite a bit of information.